Does Influenza and Antibiotic Use During Pregnancy Increase Autism

Evidence suggests that maternal immune activation during pregnancy has a toxic effect on the developing fetal brain leading to neurodevelopmental problems like schizophrenia and autism in the child. Potential pathogenic mechanisms contributing/leading to immune activation in the mother include nutritional deficiencies, stress, infections, toxins and drugs especially antibiotics.

Although intuitive, role of infections in mom during pregnancy in causing autism has not been clearly established.

Data has been conflicting and the differences may be attributed to differences in design of studies and subjects studies. While e meta-analysis of case control studies found that prenatal infection at any time during pregnancy causes a two-fold increase in risk of autism, a Swedish study using inpatient hospital register as well as a Danish hospital based register study failed to document any such linkage. The latter studies may however miss out many cases of maternal infection.

Women: 101,033 pregnant subjects. This number represented 31% of all pregnant moms in Denmark during the study period. Recruitment was done through the subject’s primary care provider at prenatal visit.

Children: 96,736 kids ranging from 8 to 14 years of age. 976 were diagnosed with autism by a psychiatrist.

While most febrile episodes had no impact, fever episodes lasting 7 or more days were associated with 1.6-fold increased risk of autistic spectrum disorders and 3.2-fold increased risk of infantile autism.

Use of antibiotics including penicillin, macrolides like erythromycin, and sulfonamides drugs was associated with a small but statistically significant increased risk of autism spectrum disorders.

Conclusions on maternal infection, antibiotic use and risk of autism

Most common infections at any time during pregnancy do not increase risk of autism.

Multiple studies including the above study have confirmed increased risk of autism due to viral infections like respiratory influenza infection.

These chemicals transferred to fetus and its developing brain may include maternal antibodies as a result of infection, abnormal neurochemical signals due to altered brain-gut-bacteria communications in mother, absorbed bacterial toxic products with their antibodies as well as potentially noxious semi-digested food products.

Topics below may also be of interest to you...or click to go to Home page

Tee Shirts Fantastica

Disclaimer Autism

Postings are for general information and not intended for advice or use for self-diagnosis or treatment. I am a gastroenterologist and nutritionist, not your physician or autism specialist. Always read everything on internet with a grain of salt and consult your physician.